Chapter 5: Sum, Es, Est. . .

Mei testes veri sunt. — Cicero, Against Verres 2.5.165
Translation

My witnesses are telling the truth.

More literally: My witnesses are true (truthful).

Details

Meī is the masculine nominative plural form of meus/mea/meum (1/2): my, mine. Testēs is the nominative plural form of testis, testis (3m/f): witness. Vērī is the masculine nominative plural form of vērus/vēra/vērum (1/2): true; truthful, telling the truth. Sunt: (they) are.


Valet, hic est. — Terence, Phormio 256
Translation

He’s doing well, he’s here.

Details

Valet is the third person singular form of valeō, valēre, valuī, valitum (2): to be well, healthy or strong; be worth; be of effect. Hīc (adv.): here. Est: he is.


Sum bonus et frugi. — Horace, Epistles 1.16.49
Translation

I am good and careful.

Details

(He’s quoting his servant.) Sum: I am. Bonus /bona/bonum (1/2): good. Et (conj.): and. Frūgī was originally the dative singular form of the noun frūx, frūgis (3f): fruit, crop; morality, sobriety, virtue—but it became used virtually as an indeclinable adjective meaning frugal, thrifty or honest, virtuous, worthy.


Vos estis in possessione. — Cicero, On the Agrarian Law 3.15
Translation

You (pl.) are in possession of it.

Details

Vōs: you (pl.). Estis: (you) are (pl.). In (prep.): (with abl.) in; (with acc.) into. Possessiōne is the ablative singular form of possessiō, possessiōnis (3f): a taking possession of; possession.


In eadem es navi. — Erasmus, Adagia (1536)
Translation

You (sg.) are in the same boat.

Details

In (prep.): (with abl.) in; (with acc.) into. Eādem is the feminine ablative singular form of īdem/eadem/idem (adj.): the same. Es: you are (sg.). Nāvī is the ablative singular form of nāvis, nāvis (3f): ship, boat—an i-stem noun that can take the ending – ī in the ablative singular (but nāve is also possible; see Chapter 23 of The Latin Tamer).


Civis Romanus sum. — Cicero, Against Verres 2.5.147
Translation

I am a Roman citizen.

Details

(Context: “There, in that prison, guiltless Roman citizens were most shamefully strangled. Now at last the cry ‘I am a Roman citizen,’the famous appeal that has so often brought men help and rescue among savage races in the furthest corners of the earth, was to hasten the infliction and increase the agony of these men’s death.”) Cīvis, cīvis (3m/f): citizen. Rōmānus /Rōmāna/Rōmānum (1/2): Roman. Sum: I am.


Est igitur profecto deus. — Cicero, De Natura Deorum 2.16
Translation

Therefore God does exist.

More literally: So there is definitely a God.

Details

Est: there is. Igitur (conj.): therefore, so, then. Profectō (adv.): undoubtedly, assuredly, definitely. Deus, deī (2m, irreg.): god, deity.


Eques Romanus es. — Seneca, Epistles 44.2
Translation

You are a Roman knight.

Details

Eques, equitis (3m): horseman; knight. Rōmānus /Rōmāna/Rōmānum (1/2): Roman. Es: you are.


Nec sumus ingrati. — Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.76
Translation

We are not ungrateful.

Details

Neque/ nec (conj. and adv.): and not, nor; neither, not either, not even. Sumus: are we. Ingrātī is the masculine nominative plural form of ingrātus/ingrāta/ingrātum (1/2): ungrateful; unwelcome; unpleasant, disagreeable.


Quare ergo, si incesta sum, vivo? — Seneca the Elder, Controversies 1.3.4
Translation

Why, then, if I am unchaste, am I still alive?

More literally: Why, then, if I am unchaste, do I live?

Details

Quārē (interrog. adv.): why? Ergō (particle): therefore, so, then. Sī (conj.): if. Incestus/ incesta /incestum (1/2): (ritually) unclean, polluted; unchaste, lewd; incestuous. Sum: I am. Vīvō, vīvere, vīxī, vīctum (3): to live.


Nonne homines estis? — 1 Cor. 3:4
Translation

Are you not men?

Details

Nōnne: not, in a question that expects a “yes” answer, such as do/does/etc. . . . not? —it’s made up of nōn, meaning not; and the enclitic interrogative particle – ne, which makes the word part of a question. Hominēs is the nominative plural form of homō, hominis (3m): man, human. Estis: are you (pl.).


O Paule, malus es. — Martial, Epigrams 4.17.3
Translation

O Paulus, you are evil.

Details

Ō (interjection): O! Oh! Paule is the vocative singular form of the proper noun Paulus, Paulī (2m). Malus /mala/malum (1/2): bad; evil. Es: you are (sg.).


Res sunt inexplicabiles. — Cicero, Letters to Atticus 10.2.2
Translation

The tangle cannot be unravelled.

More literally: Matters are inextricable.

Details

Rēs is the nominative plural form of rēs, reī (5f): thing; matter, affair; fact; circumstance; property. Sunt: (they) are. Inexplicābilēs is the m/f nominative plural form of inexplicābilis/inexplicābilis/inexplicābile (3): inextricable; baffling; inexplicable.


Falsum est. — Cicero, On His House 95
Translation

That’s untrue.

Details

Falsus/falsa/ falsum (1/2): false, untrue; fake. Est: it is.


Sed alia maiora sunt. — Quintilian, The Orator’s Education 1.10.39
Translation

But there are other more important points.

Details

Sed (conj.): but. Alia is the neuter nominative plural form of alius/alia/aliud (1/2, irreg.): other, another (the neuter plural is used substantively to mean other “things”). Maiōra is the neuter nominative plural form of maior/maior/maius (3): larger, greater; more important—the comparative form of magnus/magna/magnum (1/2): large, great; important. Sunt: (they/there) are.


Similes sumus. — Seneca the Elder, Controversies 2.6.1
Translation

We are similar.

Details

Similēs is the m/f nominative plural form of similis/similis/simile (3): similar. Sumus: we are.


Tristis es et felix. — Martial, Epigrams 6.79.1
Translation

You (sg.) are sad and lucky.

Details

Trīstis /trīstis/trīste (3): sad, gloomy; stern, austere. Es: you are (sg.). Et (conj.): and. Fēlīx, fēlīcis (3, adj.): lucky, fortunate.


Caeca invidia est. — Livy, History of Rome 38.49.5
Translation

Envy is blind.

Details

Caecus/ caeca /caecum (1/2): blind. Invidia, invidiae (1f): envy; spite; resentment; dislike. Est: is.


Non est vestrum ubicumque non estis. — Seneca, Epistles 89.21
Translation

Any place you do not occupy is not really yours.

More literally: Wherever you (pl.) are not is not yours.

Details

(He’s asking what good it is to have houses with rooms you don’t use.) Nōn: not. Est: is. Vester/vestra/ vestrum (1/2): your, yours (with reference to a plural you). Ubicumque (rel. adv.): wherever. Estis: you are (pl.).